Automatic safety-check-writing machine.



WITNESSES:

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET IN VE/V TOR I. BILYEU.

AUTOMAHC S'SFE'H CHECK WRIHNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 9. I914.

' Patented Nov. 23, 1915 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- AUTOMATIC SAFETY GHEQK WRJUNG MACHiNE. memos mm SEPT. 9. m4.

'1 ,1 61 ,80'8. Patented Nov. 23, 19%.

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W] TNESSES Shhhfihd ea-TENT onmon.

THOMAS nurse, or HILLSIBOBO, cannon, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPHINE BILYEU, or

' HILLSBORO, cannon.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY-CHECK-VIRITING MACHINE.

Application filed September 9, 1914.

T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS BILYEU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hillsboro, in the county of lVashington, State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety-Check-Whiting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention provides an automatic safety check writing machine which operates to indelibly write upon a check or other negot toleinstrument, in words and letters on one line and in numerals on another line, the an'iount for which the check or negotiable instrument drawn.

he machine of my invention further provides for shifting the rolls which feed the check into the machine so that the writing may be done on two lines; and it still further provides for feeding the check or negotiable instrument through the machine and properly spacinglthe writing on the face thereof. Alsoembodied in the machine of my invention and cotiperating therewith is an inking attachment, so actuated by the settable member carrying the type members, that it positively and evenly provides ink to the active surface of each and every one of the type members, and furthermore these type members are so constructed that the words, letters and figures will be serrated and inkedinto the material of which the check or other instrument is made, in such a manner as to absolutely guarantee the maker against any possibility of its value being 'tered. And finally the automatic 'it'ng machine of my invention is so construe-tel as to simplify its operation be- I sides minimizing the number of parts of which it is constructed without impairing its operative etliciency.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustra e one preferred embodiment of my invention: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the automatic check writing machine constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a loft-hand elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In all three of the above-mentioned figures oi the drawings, the machine has been awn with the outer casing removed so as to display the details of the mechanism to a better advantage.

Referring to the drawings, in detail the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (W. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 860,914.

machine comprises "a flat base 1,, having mounted thereon a main bracket 2, comprise ing the two legs 3 and the overhanging portion said legs 3 being secured to the base 1 by means of the screws 4. In the bearing 6 of the overhanging portion of the main bracket 2 is mounted the shank of a knob 7 and depending from the shank of the knob 7 is the horizontally disposed dial 8. The upper surface of the dial 8 is provided with numerals, marks, of punctuation and words in the following order, 1, 2, 3, 4r, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,.sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, hundred. thousand, dollars, cents, and projecting in relief from the under surface of the dial and radially disposed with respect to th: center thereof are the type faces corresponding to the index of numerals, punctuation marks and words on the upper face of the dial. However for the sake of convenience the type faces are each preferably positioned around the dial at ninety degrees with respect to their corresponding index upon the upper face of the dial. The dial 8 is so mounted that it may be rotated in either direction in a horizontal plane. Upon the upper surface of the said dial 8 and arranged in a circle concentric with respect to the center of the dial 8 is a ring of concave openings 9, each of which is positioned on a radial line of one of the index numerals, marks of punctuation or words. The main bracket 2 carries a lug 10 having therein a vertically disposed recess 11, the vertical aXis of which lies at the same distance from the center of the dial 8 as the centers of the openings 9. In the recess 11 is disposed a ball 12 pressed downwardly into the openings 9 by spring 13 which is adjust-- ably held in place in the recess 11 by a screw 14 threaded into the top of the recess 11. hen the dial 8 is rotated the ball 12 enters the openings 9 and serves to retain the proper type face in alinement, depending, of course. upon which index of the dial is selected by the operator of the machine? Beneath the dial 8 and supported by the brackets 15 and 15 is the table 16, which receives the check or other negotiable instrument to be op rated on by the machine. The brackets 15 are secured to the bracket 2 by the screws 18 While the brackets 15 are secured to the table 16 and base 1 by the screws 17 At the left of the machine the table 16 is provided with a platen aperture 19 whereas at the front on the machine the table 16 is cutaway to allow the inking rollers, to be hereinafter described, to come into 1 contact with the type faces on the under-side of the dial 8. Above the table 16, but beneath the face of the dial 8 is the guard member 20 having openings therein corresponding with the openings in the table 16.

This guard member 20 protects the portion] of the check not being operated on, from coming into contact with the inked type faces. i v

Upon the under surface of the dial 8 and at the periphery thereof is the annular gear 21. Upon the base 1 are mounted the upright brackets 22 which support the inkingrolls 25' and 26 by means of the brackets 23.

'The inking roll '25-is held in tension against the type faceson the dial 8 by the spring 9A secured at one end to one of the brackets 123- and at the other end to one of the up- 25 right brackets 22. Theinking rolls 25 and :26 are held against each other by the spring 27. The inking roll 25 carries a gear 28 which meshes withthe annular gear 21 carried by the under surface of thedial 8, thus it is evident that when the dial 8 is turned by means of the knob 7 the inking roll 25 will also be-rotated and'as it rotates its surface will successively co; tact with each of the type faces carried by the under surface of the dial 8 and will supply ink to the said type faces; ink being supplied to the roll 25 by reason of the fact that it rolls in contact with the ink supplyin roll 26.

,At the'left of the dial 8 are mounted the two upright brackets29 secured to the base 1 by the screws 30. y In the upright brackets 29 15 mounted a horizontally disposed shaft 31 and-mounted on the shaft 31 between the reason of the fact that the the spline 34.

said brackets 29 is the upper feed roller 32 having at each end thereof a flange 33. At one end-the shaft31 is longitudinall splined as at 34 and carries the circular rack provided at each side with a shroud 36, the teeth of said circular rack 35 being slo ed in one direction only. The circular rac: carries a collar 36 in which is mounted a in 37 which engages'the spline 34 thus allowing thesaid feed roller 32' and its shaft 31 to ets 29.. The shaft 40 carries "the lower feed roller 42 which bears against the upper feed roller 32 between the flanges-33.. -The lower feed roller -12 is flexibly supported with respect to the upper roller 32, the ends of the shaft 40 being supported by the arms 43 of the bell crank levers ll; pivoted to the brackets 29 by the screws 30, the arms d5 of the bell crank levers 44: being secured to the bracket 29 by means of the springs 46. One

vend of the shaft 40 carries a spring 47 retained in place by the screw 47' the said '5 )rin bearin at one end a ainst the screw and at theother end against the arm 48 carried by the bracket 29. T he spring l? serves to keep the shaft 40 in its normal position, however the shaft 10 is provided with grooves in which the arms 13 of the bell crank levers 41 will engage when the shaft 40 is laterally displaced; when the shaft 40 is thus laterally displaced it carries with it the feed rollers 32 and 12 by reason of the fact that the ends of the lower feed roller 4-2 engage the flanges of the upper feed roller. The shaft -10 carrying the lower feed roller is provided at the end opposite to that carrying the spring l7 with a knob 49 by which the roller 12 may be turned or laterally displaced. However by reason of the tension of the spring i? when the feed rollers are laterally displaced it is only necessary, in order to return them to their normal position, to move the lever 50 carried by the shaft 51, which connects the'bell crank levers 14, which will release thearms 13 from the grooves, the tension of the spring 17 serving to move the rollers back to their normal position.

Underneath the aperture 19 in the table 16 is positioned a striking platen 52, which is adapted when the machine is operated, to rise and press the check or other. negotiable instrument against the face of the type carried by the dial 8, thus imprintingon the check the numeral, or word, carried by the type face which is brought into position over the aperture 19 in the table 16. However in order to provide for indelibly writing upon the check,'both the type face and striking platen 52 are provided with serrations on the active surfaces, the serrations on the type face and those on the striking platen 52 be in formed to intermcsh, thus pressing the ink into the paper and embossing the word or numeral into the paper in an indelible manner.

Of course, if desired, the serrations on the type face and striking platen may be made to follow diflfieult-angles, or serpentine lines of 'serration may be formed thereon which would be exa'eriely difficult to duplicate.

The striking platen 52 is carried by the parallel laten bars 53 pivoted. at a point 5a midwa etween their end to the brackets 55. T e forward ends of the parallel platen mounted the upright brackets 57 secured to the base 1 the screws 58. Mounted in the upright brackets 57 is the shaft 59 which carries two parallel operating levers 60 pivoted to the shaft 59 at (31; the said operating levers are curved upwardly at their forward ends and connected by a finger operating bar 62, while the rear ends are curved upwardly also and connected by a shaft 63. Adjacent the rear curved portion 5 of the operating levers (30 is disposed the pin 6% which contacts with one arm of a bell crank lever (55 pivoted to the main bracket 2 at 66, and the other arm of which contacts with the shaft 56 carried by the two platen 0 bars 53. The rear ends of the platen bars are connected to a bracket 67 secured to the base by a screw (38 by means of the coil spring (3 which exerts its tension in an effort to pull the rear ends of the platen bars 53 toward the base and raise the for ward ends and striking platen 52 toward the type. However the spring 69 is normally prevented from doing this by reason of the fact that crank 65, when in the position shown in Fig. 2, bears against the pin 6%. As soon, however, as the finger operating bar (52 is depressed, the pin (34 will rise and, due to the tension of the spring 69,

which will then act on the platen bars 53,

the striking platen 52 will be raised into contact with the type face on the dial 8 which is at that time disposed over the aperture in the table plate 16, thereby indelibly embossing upon the face of the check, which is positioned between the striking platen and type face, the imprint of the type face.

It is yet to be described how the platen, operating bars, etc., are returned to their normal position, also in what manner the check is fed to the machine and properly spaced fo printing.

In the first place, in order to return the platen, operating bars. etc., to their normal position, the upright bracket 70 is mounted on the base 1 and retained in place by the screws '71; in the top of the bracket 70 is pivotally mounted, at 72. the lever 73, having its rear end connected to the bracket 70 by means of the coil spring 7% normally under tension. The rear end of the lever 73 engages with the shaft 63 and serves, due to the tension of the spring 74, to return the operating bars and platen to their normal position.

0 In order to properly space the check through the machine, means for actuating the upper feed roller 32 automatically upon the depression of the finger operating bar v (32 are provided. This means consists in the cam indentations 76 provided upon the peripheral edge of the dial 8 and each representing the spacing required for aparticular type face. The main bracket 2 carries a bell crank lever 77, one arm of which contacts with the periphery of the dial 8 and the other arm of which on the under-side contacts with the forward end of the lever 73 while it contacts on the upper side with a flexibly supported toothed sector 78 provided with a toothed segment 79 adapted to engage the teeth of the annular rack 36. The sector 78 is mounted on the pin 80 carried by an upright lug S1 integral with the main bracket 2. The sector 78 is provided with an elongated slot 82 at the point where it is mounted on the pin 80 and the teeth of the segment 79 are held in engagement with the teeth of the annular rack 36 by the spring 83 to the sector 78 at a point between the end thereof and the pin 80 with the upright lug S1; and by the spring 83 mounted on the sector 78 and bearing against the toothed segment-79, the latter being pivoted at 79; also the rear end of the sector is held in contact with the arm of the bell crank lever 77 by means of the coil spring 84. With this arrangement, when the finger operating bar (32 is depressed the teeth of the segment 79 ride upwardly over the teeth of the annular rack but as soon as the finger operating bar begins its return stroke the teeth of the annular rack 36 and segment 79 engage by reason of their formation and the tension ofthe springs 83, and the upper feed roller 32 is rotated pulling the check through the machine for the required distance according to the cam indentation on which the bell crank 77 bears. The feed roller 32 is prevented from rotating 'when the segment 79 and sector 78 are movlng upwardly by the pawl engaging the teeth of the annular rack 36, said pawl being mounted on one of the brackets 29.

In further explanation of the spacing mechanism above described, it may be stated that the finger operating bar 62 is always depressed a full stroke. but the bell crank lever 77 will only move a measured distance depending upon what cam indentation of the ditil-8 it rests on when the depression of the finger operating bar 62 takes place, therefore the sector 78 can only move a measured amountbecause of operating in conjunction with, and being governed by the beli crank lever 77, however, lever 73 will mbve its full stroke because of the fact that it is directly operated upon by levers 60.

The longest word occurring on the dial 8 is the word seventeen which contains nine letters. Since. one space is required between each word then when the worn seventeen is printed the sector would ordinarily move ten spaces were it not for the fact that as soon as the levers 6O begin the return stroke the check begins to feed, it is therefore necessary to depress lever 7 3'more than the ten spaces required or at least a sufficient amount to permit of the separation of the serrations between the dial 8 and striking platen 52 before the return of the sector which feeds the check.

In operating the machine the check to be .written is fed in at the right-hand side between the guard 20 and the table 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in Fig. 3 until its end catches the feed rollers;

. when in this position the machine may be set by rotating the dial 8 until it is in po sition to print the desired writing. The finger operating bar (52 is then depressed.

v1 consider it a special feature of my invention to provide a machine of this character which is primarily selective and optional with respect to the extent of each of its individualcharacters of operation, in contra-distinction to those machines which have a changeable operation, but which changes are inherently of a predetermined character.

In accordance with my invention, printing or impressing on more than one line may be carried out to a selective extent, and further, it is optional with the operator as to when the stock or check is shifted.

A still further important feature consists in means, of a unitary character, which not only performs the dual function of shifting and advancing the stock or check, but which also directly engages the stock or check in the performance of these dual functions.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts hereindescribed but, in practice, may resort to such practical modifications as fall within the scope of my claims.

' I claim:

1. A check writing machine having a type member for impressing printing matter of different characters on a check, an annular gear carried by said type means, type inking mechanism including a spreading member provided with a toothed gear for driving engagement with said annular gear to be driven from said type member and an ink supply member actuated by said spread ing member, a cooperating printing platen, and means for successively advancing the check for successive line printing of any of said characters and for selectively shifting the check for successive line printing on more than one line, substantially as described.

2. A check writing machine having a type member for impressing letter and numeral characters on a check, type inking mechanisni including a spreading member gear driven'from said type member, and an ink supply member in surface contact With said spreading member, and means for selectively advancing the check through the machine in one direction and shifting the check during passage for printing letter or numeral characters in succession on more than one line, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic check writing machine including means for impressing characters of varying lengths upon a check, inkspreading and supplying mechanism gear driven by said impressing means, check feeding means automatically actuated to advance the check varying distances through the machine depending on the character impressed, said feeding means being displaceable at right angles to the advancing move- 30 ment for producing writing on more than one line.

a. The combination in an automatic check writing machine,of a settable type carrying member, a striking platen, operating means 35 for said striking platen, means for spacing the check through the machine, means for supplying ink to the settable type carrying member, said spacing means and ink supplying means being adapted to be operated from the said operating means for the striking platen, and means for laterally displacing the check spacing means whereby writing may be produced on more than one line.

5. The combination in-an automatic check writing machine, of a rotatable member, type faces carried by said rotatable member, means for supplying ink to said type faces, striking platen mechanism, means operated upon said platen mechanism for spacing the check through the machine and means for displacing said spacing means whereby writing may be produced upon two lines thereof.

6. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of a frame, a hor#- -zontal dial journaled in said frame and rotatable in either direction, type faces car ried on the under surface of said dial, a striking platen adapted to cooperate with said type faces, means for supplying ink to said type faces, means for .spacing the check to be operated upon through the matatable dial, type faces carried by said dial and having serrated surfaces, a striking platen cooperating with said type faces and provided with a serrated surface the serra- 180 in an automatic I .means, and means for laterally tions of which are adapted to intermesh with the serrations on said type faces, means for spacing the check to be operated on through the machine, and means for laterally displacing the check whereby Writing. may be produced on more than one line thereof.

9. The combination in an automatic check Writing machine,'of a horizontal rotatable dial, type faces carried by said rotatable dial, and having serrated surfaces, means for supplying ink to the serrated surfaces of said type faces, a striking. platencoiiperating With said type faces and provided with a serrated surface, the serrations of which are formed to intermesh with the serrations on said type faces, means for spacing the check to be operated on through the machine, means for simultaneously actuating the striking platen and spacing displacing the check whereby writing may be produced 7 upon more than one line thereof.

10. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of a main bracket, a horizontal rotatable dial mounted in said frame, type faces carried on the under face of said dial, and having serrations thereon, indices on the upper face of said dial, means actuated upon the rotation of said dial for supplying ink to the said type faces, striking platen having a serrated surface the serrations of which are adapted to mesh With the serrations on the type faces, means for spacing the check through the machine, means for simultaneously operating said striking platen and spacing means, and means for laterally displacing the check whereby Writing may be produced on more than one line thereof.

11. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of a base, a main bracket mounted on said base, a horizontal rotatable dial mounted in said frame, type faces mounted on the under face of said dial, indices on the upper face of said dial corresponding to the type faces on the under face thereof, an annular gear carried by the said dial, an inking roller, means for resiliently maintaining said inking roller in contact with the type faces, a gear carried by said inking roller and meshing with the annular gear on said dial whereby the inking roller is rotated upon the rotation of said dial, a striking platen, means for spacing the check through the machine, and means for laterally displacing the check whereby Writing may be produced on more than one line thereof.

12. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of a base, a main bracket mounted on said base, a horizontal rotatable dial mounted in said frame and having a series of concave openings arranged iii-circular formation on the upper surface thereof, a spring controlled member carried in said main bracket adapted to engage said openings as the dial is rotated, indices on the upper surface of said dial, type faces on the under surface of said dial, a platen, means for operating said 'trihing platen, means for supplying ink to the said type faces, means for spacing the check through the machine, and means for laterally displacing the check whereby wri ng may be produced on more than one thereof.

13. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of a base, a main bracket mounted on said base, a horizontal rotatable dial mounted in said frame and having a plurality of concave openings arranged in circular formation on the upper surface thereof, a spring controlled member carried in said main bracket and adapted to engage said openings as the dial is rotated, indices on the upper surface of said dial, type faces on the under surfaceof said dial corresponding with the indices on the upper surface of the dial, the indices and type faces being positioned on the radial lines passing through the openings in the top of the dial, a striking operating the striking platen, means for supplying ink to the said type faces, means for spacing the check through the machine, and means for laterally displacing the whereby writing may be produced on than one line thereof let. The combination in an automatic check Writing machine, of a base, a main bracket mounted on said base, a settable type carrying member journaled insaid main bracket, means for supplying ink to the said settable type carrying member, a striking platen, horizontally disposed rollers. adapted to feed the check through the machine, means for operating said striking platen, means operated in conjunction with said platen operating means for rotating said rollers to automatically space the check through the machine, and means for laterally displacing the said feed rollers and check to be operated upon whereby Writing may be produced upon more than one line thereof.

15. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of av base, main bracket mounted on said base, asettable type carrying member journaled in said main bracket, means for supplying ink to said settable type carrying member, a striking platen, an upper and a lower roller more horizon tally disposed and adapted upon rotation to feed the check through the machine, means for operating said striking platen, means. operated in conjunction with said platen operating means for rotating id upper roller in one direction, and adapted "to automath cally space the check through the machine, and means for laterally displacing both of king platen, means for l check ice erated upon, means adapted in conjunction with said platen operating means for rotating said rollers to automatically space the check through the machine, means for laterally displacing said rollers and check to be operated upon whereby writing maybe produced upon more than one line thereof, and means for automatically returning said rollers to their normal position.

17. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of a base, a main bracket mounted on said base, a settable type carrying member, means for supplying ink to said settable type carrying member, a striking platen, means for alining the type faces on said settable type carrying member with the operative face of said platen, means for automatically spacing the check to be operated on through the machine, and means for laterally displacing the check whereby writing may be produced in more than one line on the face thereof.

18. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of a base, a main bracket mounted on said base, a settable member mounted in said main bracket and having type faces thereon, means for supplying ink to said type faces, a striking platen, means for alining the type faces with the said striking platen, means for operating ,said striking platen, horizontally disposed rollers adapted to engage the check to be operated upon, means operated in conjunction with said platen operating means for rotating said rollers to automatically space the check through the machine, means for laterally displacing said rollers and the check to be operated upon whereby writing may be produced on more than one line thereof, and means for returning said rollers to'their normal position.

19. Thecombination in an automatic check writing machine, of a base, a main bracket mounted on said base, a horizontal rotatable dial mounted in said main bracket, type faces on said dial, means actuated upon the rotation of said dial for supplying ink to said type faces, a striking platen, means for alining the type faces with the said striking platen, means for operating said striking platen, horizontally disposed rollers adapted to engage the check to be op-- erated upon, means operated by said platen operating means for rotating said rollers to space the check through the machine, cam surfaces on the periphery of said horizontal rotatable dial adapted to control the amount of rotation of said rollers whereby upon each operation the check is only spaced through the machine the required amount, and means for laterally displacing said rollers and the check to be operated upon' whereby writing may be produced onmore than one line thereof, 7

20. The combination in an automatic check writing machine, of a base, a main bracket mounted on said base, a horizontal rotatable dial mounted in said main bracket, j

type faces on said dial, means actuated upon the rotation ofv said dial for supplying ink to said type faces, a striking platen, means for alining the type faces with the said striking platen, mcans' for operating said striking platen, horizontally disposed rollers adapted to engage the check to be operated upon, means operated by said platen operating means for rotating said rollers to space the check through the machine, cam surfaces on' the periphery of said horizontalrotatable dial adapted to control the amount of rotation ofsaid rollers whereby upon each operation the check is only spaced through the machine the required amount, means for laterally displacing said rollers and thecheck to be operated uponwhereby writing may be produced on more than one line thereof, and means for returning said rollers to their normal position.

21. A check writing machine comprising THOMAS BILYEU. Witnesses H. J. CONRAD, RosALIA M. HorMANN. 

